Water from Ullswater floods across the A592 in Cumbria in December Photo: PA

She said: "While we continue to monitor forecasts to model the precise impacts, we expect rain to fall on already saturated ground, especially in parts of Cumbria, Yorkshire, Devon and Cornwall.

“The military are on standby, temporary defences and pumps are being deployed across the country and Environment Agency staff are checking and maintaining flood defences, clearing blockages in watercourses and monitoring water levels.

The Met Office has issued a warning for heavy rain on Tuesday for the west of the UK, with 100mm (four inches) expected in parts of Wales and England.

The Environment Agency warned those in Cumbria, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Devon and Cornwall to prepare for flooding.

The storm brought near-record snowfall from Washington to New York in the US.

“We are in the beck, we are on the riverside and we are at its mercy. There is only so much we can do to protect ourselves."

Selina Ali, hotel manager

Residents said the damage they have already facedwould be exacerbated due to the fact that many of the flood defences that were breached were still to be repaired.

In a separate development, civil servants also faced criticism yesterday over their failure to deliver affordable flooding insurance through a delayed project called Flood Re.

MPs warned small business risked being “hung out to dry” over the delayed project, but Clare Moriarty, permanent secretary at the Environment Department, said they were offering as much support as possible.

In Cumbria, the clean-up at the family-run Glenridding Hotel on the shores of Ullswater, which was hit by three different floods before Christmas, is ongoing.

Staff said the beck wall that had protected the property had not been rebuilt since it fell seven weeks ago, meaning that the 50mm-100mm rainfall forecast for the next two days would guarantee further flooding.

Manager Selina Ali told the Telegraph: “The wall that runs alongside the beck is not there and without it there is no protection for our building.

“It’s been seven weeks and the Environment Agency has still not repaired it.

“I’ve been told that there are no plans to do any emergency work in the next 24 hours, meaning that if the forecast is right and this storm follows its course, there is no doubt that we will be flooded again.

“We are in the beck, we are on the riverside and we are at its mercy. There is only so much we can do to protect ourselves.

Ms Ali said the beck was severely weakened in December when the river burst its banks and that several businesses, including restaurants, cafes and shops as well as private residences, were affected.

She added: “We have not seen anyone from the Environment Agency since before Christmas. Every day, you look out hoping to see people doing the work.”

She said she had been in touch with the EA but struggled to get hold of the relevant person. She has also emailed her local MP, Rory Stewart, demanding some answers and begging for help to repair the wall temporarily with sandbags.

The December deluge almost crippled the boutique Pump House guest cottage in Appleby, which sits beside the Eden, whose owner said he too had seen little sign of action from the Environment Agency since December.

David Watts said he was terrified about this week’s weather forecast and said the Environment Agency and local council had removed all of the sandbags protecting the property just last week.

“I’ve only just got the business back on its feet, the joiner finished today, the electrician finished last week,” he said.

“If we get flooded again we won’t come back from it. I’ve run out of money now.

“I haven’t seen and sign of any action by the Environment Agency since December, there doesn’t seem to have been any sort of planning, no clearing of rivers or anything.

“There are no flood defences on this side of the river at all. I don’t know why, I suppose it would cost thousands.”

The Environment Agency insisted that its teams had been helping communities recover from the December floods and had already been out this week checking defences and clearing blockages in watercourses and culverts.

Clare Dinnis, National Flood Duty Manager, said: “With heavy rain and high tides this week, people in Cumbria, Yorkshire, Devon and Cornwall need to be prepared for the risk of flooding.

“We will issue flood warnings and alerts where necessary as rivers respond to the rainfall. This could also cause drains to overflow, so people need to be ready for flash flooding in some places.

People look across Pooley Bridge in Ullswater, which was washed during previous flooding in Cumbria Photo: PA

“Disruption to travel and some flooding of low-lying land and individual properties is possible. We urge people to take care near coastal paths and promenades, and not to drive through flood water.”

Met Office spokeswoman Lindsay Mears said: "There are yellow warnings in place for heavy rainfall on Tuesday and Wednesday in western areas stretching from Cumbria, through Wales to the south west.

“There will be up to 100mm of rainfall in Cumbria and Lancashire and obviously, it will have more impact on those areas where the ground is already saturated.

“On Tuesday and Wednesday, there will be gale force winds of up to 70mph which could loosen tiles on buildings and uproot trees.”

An Environment Agency spokesman said: “Environment Agency contractors have been hard at work at Glenridding removing approximately 18,000 tonnes of gravel from Glenridding Beck to reduce flood risk to the local community.

“The wall, which is not owned by the Environment Agency, is not a formal flood defence, however we have been working on potential options to replace the wall with a permanent flood defence.

“We are working closely with the parish council and have been in touch with them on a daily basis about our on-going work in Glenridding to find the best long term solution for reducing flood risk to Glenridding.”